[4] Bhaggava, at one time I was dwelling among the Thūlūs; Uttarakā is the name of a town of the Thūlūs. Then, Bhaggava, in the morning, having dressed and taken my bowl and robe, I entered Uttarakā for alms with Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, as my attendant ascetic (pacchāsamaṇa). Now at that time a naked ascetic (acela) named Korakkhattiya, a practitioner of the dog-vow (kukkuravatika), going on all fours, was chewing food scattered on the ground with his mouth alone, eating it with his mouth alone. Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, saw the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya, the practitioner of the dog-vow, going on all fours, chewing food scattered on the ground with his mouth alone, eating it with his mouth alone. Having seen him, this occurred to him: 'How good in form indeed, sirs, is this ascetic, an arahant, who going on all fours chews food scattered on the ground with his mouth alone, eats it with his mouth alone!'
Then, Bhaggava, having known with my own mind the reflection in the mind of Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, I said this to Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis: 'Will even you, foolish man, claim to be a son of the Sakyan (sakyaputtiya)?'
'But why, venerable sir, does the Blessed One say this to me: "Will even you, foolish man, claim to be a son of the Sakyan?"'
'Sunakkhatta, did you not see this naked ascetic Korakkhattiya, the practitioner of the dog-vow, going on all fours, chewing food scattered on the ground with his mouth alone, eating it with his mouth alone; and having seen him, did this not occur to you: "How good in form indeed, sirs, is this ascetic, an arahant, who going on all fours chews food scattered on the ground with his mouth alone, eats it with his mouth alone"?'
'That is so, venerable sir. But then, venerable sir, does the Blessed One begrudge arahantship?'
'I do not begrudge arahantship, foolish man. Rather, this evil view has arisen in you: abandon it! Let it not be for your harm and suffering (dukkha) for a long time. Now, this naked ascetic Korakkhattiya, whom you deem "a good ascetic, an arahant"—on the seventh day he will die of the alasaka disease; and when he has died, he will arise among the asuras called Kālakañjikas, the very lowest order of asuras; and when he has died, they will throw him away in the Vīraṇatthambhaka charnel ground. And if you wish, Sunakkhatta, you may approach the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya and ask him: "Friend Korakkhattiya, do you know your own destination?" This is possible, Sunakkhatta: that the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya will declare to you: "Friend Sunakkhatta, I know my own destination: I have arisen among the asuras called Kālakañjikas, the very lowest order of asuras."'
Then, Bhaggava, Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, approached the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya; having approached, he said this to the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya: 'Friend Korakkhattiya, you have been declared of by the ascetic Gotama thus: "On the seventh day the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya will die of the alasaka disease; and when he has died, he will arise among the asuras called Kālakañjikas, the very lowest order of asuras; and when he has died, they will throw him away in the Vīraṇatthambhaka charnel ground." Therefore, friend Korakkhattiya, eat food only little by little and drink water only little by little, so that the word of the ascetic Gotama may prove false.'
Then, Bhaggava, Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, counted out the seven nights and days one by one—such was his lack of faith in the Tathāgata. But on the seventh day, Bhaggava, the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya died of the alasaka disease; and when he had died, he arose among the asuras called Kālakañjikas, the very lowest order of asuras; and when he had died, they threw him away in the Vīraṇatthambhaka charnel ground.
Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, heard: 'It is said that the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya has died of the alasaka disease and has been thrown away in the Vīraṇatthambhaka charnel ground.' Then, Bhaggava, Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, went to the Vīraṇatthambhaka charnel ground, to where the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya lay; having approached, he struck the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya three times with his hand: 'Friend Korakkhattiya, do you know your own destination?' Then, Bhaggava, the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya rose up, rubbing his back with his hand, and said: 'Friend Sunakkhatta, I know my own destination: I have arisen among the asuras called Kālakañjikas, the very lowest order of asuras.' And having spoken, he fell back flat on his back right there.
Then, Bhaggava, Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, approached me; having approached, he paid homage to me and sat down to one side. As he sat to one side, Bhaggava, I said this to Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis: 'What do you think, Sunakkhatta? Did the result come about exactly as I declared to you concerning the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya, and not otherwise?'
'Venerable sir, the result came about exactly as the Blessed One declared to me concerning the naked ascetic Korakkhattiya, and not otherwise.'
'What do you think, Sunakkhatta? That being so, has a demonstration of psychic power (iddhipāṭihāriya) surpassing the human state (uttarimanussadhamma) been performed, or not performed?'
'Certainly, venerable sir, that being so, a demonstration of psychic power surpassing the human state has been performed, not unperformed.'
'Even so, foolish man, do you say this to me, who perform a demonstration of psychic power surpassing the human state: "But venerable sir, the Blessed One does not perform for me any demonstration of psychic power surpassing the human state"? See, foolish man, how far you have gone wrong in this!'
Even when spoken to by me thus, Bhaggava, Sunakkhatta, son of the Licchavis, departed from this Dhamma and Discipline, like one bound for the plane of misery, bound for hell.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.